Definition of Stress 2. Types of Stress Word Stress and Sentence Stress

 1. Definition of Stress (in English Language)

In spoken English, stress refers to the emphasis given to certain syllables in words or to certain words in a sentence. This helps to make speech clear, natural, and meaningful.

Stressed = pronounced louder, longer, and with higher pitch
Unstressed = pronounced quieter, shorter, and more quickly

2. Types of Stress

A. Word Stress

• Refers to emphasis on one syllable in a word with more than one syllable.

Example:

• TAble (not taBLE)
• REcord (noun), but reCORD (verb)

Rules to Identify Word Stress:

1.      Two-syllable nouns/adjectives: stress is usually on the first syllable
TAble, WINdow, CLEver

2.      Two-syllable verbs/prepositions: stress is usually on the second syllable
to reLAX, to rePEAT, to aRRIVE

3.      Words ending in -tion, -ic, -sion: stress is usually on the syllable before the suffix
educaTION, geoLOGic, deciSION

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B. Sentence Stress

• Refers to the emphasis placed on important words in a sentence (usually content words).

Content words (stressed): nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs
Function words (unstressed): articles, auxiliaries, prepositions, pronouns

Example:

She went to the market yesterday.
Stressed words: went, market, yesterday
Unstressed: she, to, the

How it helps:

• Highlights the main message of the sentence.
• Makes spoken English more natural and rhythmic.

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3. Detailed Steps with Examples

Step-by-Step for Word Stress:

1.      Break the word into syllables

o    Example: banana → ba / na / na

2.      Identify the stressed syllable

o    baNAna → Stress is on the second syllable

3.      Say it with stress

o    Make the second syllable louder, longer, and higher

Other Examples:

• COMfortable → 1st syllable
• phoTOgraph (noun), but phoTOgraphy → 2nd syllable

Step-by-Step for Sentence Stress

1.      Identify the content words in the sentence
Example: He is watching a movie in the hall.
Content words: watching, movie, hall

2.      De-emphasize function words
He is watching a movie in the hall.

3.      Stress only the important words when speaking
/ HE / is / WATCHing / a / MOVie / in the / HALL /

4.      Practice with rhythm and pitch
Example: I will MEET you at the STAtion.

 

4. Additional Types of Stress in Phonetics (Advanced for IOE)

Type	Description	Example
Primary Stress	Main, strongest emphasis in a word	phoTOgraph
Secondary Stress	Weaker stress on another syllable	phoTOgraphy → phoˌTOgraphy
Contrastive Stress	Used to show contrast between words or ideas	I said I wanted tea, not coffee!
Emphatic Stress	Used to show strong emotion or importance	I do like it!

 

5. Summary Table

Stress Type	Focus	Example
Word Stress	Emphasis on a syllable	taBLE, aBOUT, DEsert/deSERT
Sentence Stress	Emphasis on key words	I want to go home now.
Primary Stress	Main stress in a word	phoTOgraph
Secondary Stress	Minor stress	phoˌTOgraphy
Emphatic/Contrastive	Special meaning or emotion	He DID come! / Not YOU, HER!

 

1. What is Stress in a Word?

When a word has two or more syllables, one syllable is pronounced more strongly. This is called word stress.

• Primary Stress: The syllable that is emphasized the most.
• Secondary Stress: A syllable that has some stress, but less than the primary stress.

2. Primary Stress

Definition:

Primary stress is the main, strongest emphasis given to a syllable in a word. It is marked with a high vertical line (ˈ) before the stressed syllable in dictionaries.

Features:

• Louder
• Longer
• Higher pitch
• Clearly pronounced

Examples:

Word	Phonetic Transcription	Stressed Syllable
phoˈtograph	/ˈfəʊtəɡrɑːf/	ˈpho
aˈbout	/əˈbaʊt/	ˈbout
taˈble	/ˈteɪbəl/	ˈta
ˈlanguage	/ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/	ˈlan

 

3. Secondary Stress

Definition:

Secondary stress is a weaker stress used in long words that have more than two syllables. It helps maintain rhythm and pronunciation clarity. It is marked with a low vertical line (ˌ) before the syllable in dictionaries.

Features:

• Not as strong as primary stress
• More prominent than unstressed syllables
• Helps in breaking long words into natural speech chunks

Examples:

Word	Phonetic Transcription	Primary Stress	Secondary Stress
phoˌtoˈgraphy	/ˌfəʊtəˈɡræfi/	ˈgraph	ˌpho
ˌindiˈvidual	/ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl/	ˈvid	ˌin
ˌrecomˈmendation	/ˌrekəmenˈdeɪʃən/	ˈda	ˌre
ˌunemˈployment	/ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/	ˈploy	ˌun

 

4. How to Identify Primary vs Secondary Stress

Step-by-Step:

1.      Break the word into syllables

o    e.g., pho / to / graph / y

2.      Listen or pronounce to find the strongest emphasis → Primary stress

3.      Notice any lighter, yet still prominent emphasis → Secondary stress

4.      Use a dictionary (e.g., Oxford or Cambridge) to see stress marks:

o    ˈ = primary stress

o    ˌ = secondary stress

5. Common Word Patterns

Suffix/Pattern	Likely Stress Rule	Example
-ic, -sion, -tion	Stress the syllable before suffix	geoˈLOGic, educaˈTION
-ity, -ify	Stress usually moves to 3rd from end	eˌlecˈtricity, ˌclarˈify
Compound Words	Stress often on first word	ˈBLACKboard, ˈPOSTman
Long Words (4+ syll.)	Often have both stresses	ˌindiˈvidual, ˌrecomˈmendation

 

6. Summary Table

Stress Type	Symbol	Strength	Position	Example
Primary Stress	ˈ	Strongest	Main syllable	phoˈtograph
Secondary Stress	ˌ	Medium strength	In longer words	phoˌtoˈgraphy
Unstressed	(none)	Weakest	Other syllables	pho·to·ˈgraph·y

 

1. What is Word Stress?

Word Stress is the emphasis given to one syllable in a word.

Example:
TAble → Stress is on first syllable
aBOUT → Stress is on second syllable

Tricks to Identify Word Stress

Rule	Trick	Example
1Two-syllable nouns/adjectives	Stress usually on first syllable	TAble, WINdow, CLEver
2 Two-syllable verbs/prepositions	Stress on second syllable	to reLAX, to aRRIVE
3 Words ending in -tion, -ic, -sion	Stress the syllable before the suffix	educaTION, geoLOGic, deciSION
4 Words ending in -ity, -ify	Stress third from the end	eˌlecˈTRIcity, ˌclaˈRIfy
5 Compound nouns	Stress first part	BLACKboard, FOOTball
6 Compound adjectives/verbs	Stress second part	old-FASHioned, to underSTAND

 

Examples of Word Stress

Word	Stressed Syllable	Correct Stress
Banana	baNAna	2nd syllable
Engineer	engiNEER	3rd syllable
Photograph	PHOtograph	1st syllable
Photography	phoTOGraphy	2nd syllable

 

 2. What is Sentence Stress?

Sentence Stress is the emphasis placed on important (content) words in a sentence.

Stressed words = nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs
Unstressed = auxiliary verbs, articles, prepositions, pronouns

 

Tricks to Use Sentence Stress

Rule	Trick	Example
1 Stress the main message words	Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs	She DRIVES a BIG CAR.
2 Do not stress grammar words	a, an, the, is, to, in, and, etc.	He is READING a BOOK.
3 Use stress to change meaning	Emphatic/contrastive stress	I didn’t say YOU stole it (maybe someone else did).

 

Examples of Sentence Stress

Sentence	Stressed Words	Meaning
I WANT to GO HOME.	want, go, home	Expressing desire strongly
They BOUGHT a NEW CAR YESTERDAY.	bought, new, car, yesterday	Main action, object, time
She is NOT COMING to the PARTY.	not, coming, party	Negative emphasis

 

Combined Trick: Word Stress + Sentence Stress

Think of word stress as syllable-level emphasis, and sentence stress as word-level emphasis.

Example Sentence:

The PHOtographer took some BEAUtiful PICtures yesterday.

• Word Stress:
• PHOtographer → primary stress on 2nd syllable
• BEAUtiful → stress on 1st syllable
• PICtures → stress on 1st syllable
• Sentence Stress:
• Emphasis on content words: PHOtographer, BEAUtiful, PICtures, yesterday

 

Pro Tips for IOE Entrance

1.      Use a dictionary with IPA symbols (ˈ = primary stress, ˌ = secondary stress).

2.      Practice reading aloud and mark the stressed syllables/words.

3.      Record yourself and compare with native audio clips.

4.      Use rhythm and intonation when practicing sentences.

Practice Sentences:

1.      She WALKED to the STORe in the MORNing.

2.      The DOCtor gave him a PREScription.

3.      We had a WONderful DINner last NIGHT.